1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of food dispensing devices, and more particularly to a novel dispensing device for dry granular commodities, such as dry baby formula or the like, and which includes a pre-measuring device adapted to discharge a limited quantity of the dry food product or commodity at each operation.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, it has been the conventional practice to dispense food product in pre-measured quantities and such prior devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 852,603; 895,346; 1,969,110 and 2,585,198. Although these prior devices have been somewhat successful in dispensing pre-measured contents, such as soap, grain and the like, problems and difficulties have been encountered which stem largely from the fact that sanitation is important and the ability for the dispenser to detachably couple with a receiving container is important. Furthermore, particularly in the field of dispensing baby formula, such as dry food and the like, the dispenser must be adapted to connect with conventional baby bottle or baby formula containing devices so that upon removal of the dispensing device, a suitable cap or nipple can be attached to the container for dispensing purposes.
Furthermore, other problems and difficulties have been encountered when employing pre-measured apparatus in connection with dispensing of the dry commodity which relate to convenience and operability. In some conventional dispensing mechanisms, jamming occurs when dry commodities are employed where liquid does not cause jamming or the like. Small granules of baby formula may travel into crevices and cracks usually present when a turning mechanism is available so that scoring and jamming of the device often would occur.
Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide a dispensing device for dry formula, cereal or other commodity which may readily be detachably connected to a standard plastic baby bottle and bag so that a pre-measured quantity of the dry commodity may be collected from storage and introduced to the standard plastic baby bottle and bag. The pre-measuring section of the device must be non-jamming and must not only be adapted for manual use but include a releasable locking mechanism so as to hold the pre-measuring unit in a position for receiving the dry commodity from a storage area within the device.